Together in Darkness
by mortal-paralight
Summary: Taking Bella Cullen away from her family to do his bidding in Romania had only been the first step and now that the destruction of the Volturi is in his sights, Stefan will do whatever is necessary to achieve a means to an end. From a slave to a conquest, Bella soon begins to realize that all is not fair in love and war. R&R! In collab with Dragongirl323! Rated M for mature content
1. Preface - Heart of stone

**Author's note from DragonGirl323:****Hello everyone! Welcome to our collab! Just a few quick notes before you get started reading. First of all, parts of this storyline were created during an RP event on The Original Twilight Roleplay! – where the events of Breaking Dawn were skipped over. I (Jenna) provided all the dialogue for Stefan and Mortal provided all the dialogue for Bella, and will be alternating chapters. We're having a lot of fun writing this fic together and we hope that all of you enjoy reading it! Any and all reviews are greatly appreciated!**

**Disclaimer = We do not own or claim to own any aspect of The Twilight Saga, including the characters or plot line. All rights belong solely to Stephenie Meyer.**

Preface – Heart of Stone

"_From childhood's hour I have not been. As others were, I have not seen. As others saw, I could not awaken. My heart to joy at the same tone. And all I loved, I loved alone." – Edgar Allan Poe_

The battle had been won.

And now, it would not be long until I won the war as well.

A victorious smirk slithered onto my face as I replayed the memory of the black cloaked figures dispersing into the mist covered valley over and over in my mind with crystal clear clarity, resembling a pack of dogs with their tails tucked disgracefully between their legs, and evaporating into the frigid air like specters carried off by the wind. A deep, satisfied chuckle erupted from my throat, disturbing the silence around myself and the two other vampires standing just to my right, and breathed in deeply, filling my lungs with the sweet smelling smoke that was still swirling off of the smoldering bodies at my feet. Glancing down, I nudged the decapitated body nearest to me with the toe of my shoe, sending a cloud of ash into the air.

Those two charred, indistinguishable masses had been Sulpicia and Athenodora, the wives of Aro and Caius, just twenty minutes ago. I chuckled again as I remembered the expressions on the faces of those pompous, glorified saints, relishing in the agony and torment evident in their eyes as they watched their wives burn, and took a vast amount of enjoyment in the knowledge that my pain was now theirs. The sound of their glorious, tortured cries had caused Vladimir and I to snicker with glee. After all, they had stolen our mates from us those long centuries ago, and we had finally taken our pound of flesh.

_My Anya… At last, I have avenged you._

I turned toward Vladimir, his gaze immediately finding mine, and placed a hand on his shoulder. He cupped my shoulder in return and matching smiles of satisfaction broke across our faces. He was thinking of Ivana, that I was absolutely certain of. This was the turning point, the beginning of the end of the Volturi. Being hunted relentlessly after surviving the massacre of our coven and decimation of our armies had reached a culmination after fifteen hundred years. We had survived for this exact reason, and sharing such a pivotal moment in time with my brother in arms was sweet, so much sweeter than either of us could have anticipated.

Of course, this was only the inception of our master plan; it was mere child's play compared to the destruction we had yet to wreak upon them. Our legacy would echo through time long after the Volturi's had faded to a dim memory.

"And so it begins," Vladimir said smoothly, clapping my shoulder firmly with a light chuckle then heading back to the castle, but not before sweeping Athenodora's ashen body out of his way.

I watched his departure for the briefest of moments before finally turning my attention to the woman that had made this victory possible, Bella. Without her valuable assistance, none of this would have been possible. My smile widened as I studied her. She was a vision, even though she looked utterly defeated. She was standing not three feet away from me, her shoulders deflated, hugging herself as though the chill in the air was actually bothering her, and attempting to hide the grief that was chiseled into every facet of her expression. Her unfocused, crimson gaze was fixed on a point in the distance – the direction the Cullens had left in. My compelling influence, a secret I had safeguarded for thousands of years, ensured that she hadn't rejoined their sides as soon as she caught sight of her mate, something that had left each one of them stunned into silence. Deducing that they were hoping she would return with them was blatantly obvious and they were flabbergasted by her refusal. The only one whose expression reflected a deep, knowing sadness was the seeress, which only succeeded in amusing me. She had known this would come to pass and still had been unable to prevent it.

They had begged, pleaded, cried and groaned for Bella to see reason and come back with them to the horrifyingly dismal town of Forks, their disbelief a delicious sight to behold as she continually refused them.

It had taken them far too long to retreat and when they finally did, I almost wished I had opened the door when opportunity came knocking. The tantalizing temptation of stepping outside Bella's protective shield so Edward could read my thoughts, especially the ones concerning his mate and the erotically intimate activities we had performed, had been almost too rich to pass up. If the Volturi had not been present, with Jane and Alec's hilariously murderous glares zeroed in on me, I would have done just that. The smug grin I wore during the duration of their stay in my territory only succeeded in further infuriating Aro's little pets, which was compensation enough. It wasn't often that their powerful abilities were rendered completely useless. My extreme distaste for the witch twins nearly rivaled my hate for their self proclaimed king; he was nothing without his guard and he knew it.

Bella shifted, her shoes crunching in the snow, and effectively snapped out of my thoughts. Her shoulders twitched, hands clenching even tighter around her upper arms, as my gaze focused on her and I grinned, my lips pulling away from my glistening, venom coated teeth. Her eyes flicked briefly in my direction before she dropped her gaze to her feet, her brunette hair falling forward in luscious chocolate waves to conceal her face from me. The memory of my hands buried in those silken strands just the previous morning made a shiver of pleasure race down my spine. She truly was a prize, it was a shame that Edward had been unable to keep her.

She sighed sadly after a long stretch of silence and turned her head to look at me, her expression souring when she caught sight of the self-righteous glint in my eyes. "Well, you have what you want now." She shot one last, longing glance toward the snow capped mountains in the distance, then began trudging dejectedly back to the castle at a human pace.

I snorted, my smirk widening. "Not quiet, my dear," I shot back.

She stared down at her feet as she continued walking, unresponsive to my comment, and I watched her hair swirl through the air as an errant gust of wind suddenly blew most of the strands across her shoulder, still grinning confidently. Now that she was going to be a permanent resident of my castle, we would be getting to know each other much better. I snickered as I folded my hands behind my back and trailed casually behind her, leaving the wives' bodies to disintegrate into ash and be carried off by the wind.

I would have never been able to foresee that this woman, someone I had only acquired as a conquest, would be the redemption I hadn't known I was looking for.

**Author's note from mortal-paralight20:** **Alright so here was the preface written by my good friend Jenna/Dragongirl323. We're both curious as to know what you all thought of this start of the story and we'd like to know what you thought of it in some reviews. Now, just so that you are all aware of this, we will be updating every two weeks (or earlier, depending when we get the chapters written) because I plan to update this story along with my other story **_**Disappeared**_** at the same time. So one chapter here, one chapter there. Everyone's happy. **

**So without further ado, please review! We'd appreciate your feedback very much!**

**Mortal-paralight20 & Dragongirl323**

5


	2. Unending Confusion

**Alright so I'm terribly sorry for the delay. I've had exams from the end of May to mid June and then I was on vacation with no Internet, so it's been hectic. But I've got it done now and it's long, so you guys can have a good read…at least I'm hoping it's a good read. **

**Anyways, here's the chapter and please, READ AND REVIEW!**

**Also, DragonGirl and I both have Facebook pages that you guys can like. **

**Here's mine: (Facebook dot com)**/ #! / MortalParalight **(remove the spaces and please fill in the blanks that are written there, i.e.. (Facebook dot com) is the address of Facebook)**

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**Disclaimer = DragonGirl or myself don't own Twilight!**

Chapter 1

Unending Confusion

**Bella's Point of View**

_Oh God…what have I just done?_

How could this have gotten so far out of hand? How could things have changed so drastically that it had to come to this point...?

As I gripped the sheet tighter to my bare chest, I tried to control the frantic emotions that were swirling through my mind like an angry vortex and forced myself not to look at the man who was staring out the window by my bed—or should I say, _broken_ bed—while redressing himself. I did not want to look at him; did not even want to see the satisfied smirk that I knew was plastered across his face after this. I tried desperately to stay calm as he revelled in my scent that was stuck to his skin and breathed it in deeply—or even think of the fact that his was still saturated in my pores for the time being.

Looking down at my naked bodice, undeniable dread began to swallow me whole. How could I have done this to Edward…? How could I have betrayed the one that I loved? All of this was just too confusing… Everything had deteriorated so quickly that there had been no time to react, no chance to escape from the slippery slope I had found myself on. The sweet, but fake talk… The touches… Then the…the… Oh God, how could this have happened?!

"So," Stefan's voice snapped me out of my inner monologue, "have you given any further consideration to my proposal? Of staying here with me?"

Turning my head in his direction, my eyes locked onto him as he began to approach my side of the bed, his hands behind his back. I could see his eyes scanning gradually over my body—or at least what he could see, anyways—and it was too hard to continue looking at him without remembering our recent 'closeness'. Averting my gaze from him, my eyes drifted down to the sheet and my fingers clenched around the fabric even tighter, the threads dangerously close to snapping under the force of my grip, trying to appear small as Stefan got closer to me.

"I...I don't know yet..." I answered, my voice wavering slightly as the words escaped my mouth. The answer should be obvious…shouldn't it? After all of these weeks of being in captivity, I should want to go back to my family; go back to how everything used to be. But with recent events hanging over my shoulders like an angry storm cloud, it was becoming unclear whether I should return now or not.

Stefan came to stand beside me and, thankfully, kept his hands to himself for the time being. "You still have until tomorrow to decide, although I would prefer hearing your answer soon," Stefan said, remained quiet for a few moments before clicking his teeth and then speaking up once more. "I wouldn't mind hearing your thoughts and concerns on the matter."

What exactly could I tell him? What could I say to make him leave me alone so I could regain my focus? Looking back at him, I tried to force the images of his body moving above mine and the intensity of his black, lust filled gaze out of my head, which only caused me to think about how erotic the sensations had been, how _good _it had felt while he was kissing my neck… Simply having him so close to me made my emotions run all over the place, which is the sole reason why I averted my gaze from his in the first place and turned my attention to the sheet that was still wrapped around my body.

"I feel extremely confused. I shouldn't have done...this...with you. The fact that I did is a crime against my mate and I can't even think of facing him after what I've done. But I don't want to be a slave for the rest of eternity..." I admitted, keeping my gaze trained on the sheet.

Stefan sat down on the edge of the bed, so close to me that it made me instinctively move away from him so I would be able to think clearly as he began to speak again. But it still wasn't enough… I could still _smell_ him. His scent… It reminded me of whiskey. Spicy, warm and intoxicating. "But you wouldn't be a slave, don't you see? You would be my equal," Stefan said, his voice a delicate purr that seemed to dance across my skin. As he reached toward me and trailed the pads of his fingers down my cheek, I fought to keep my emotions in check. This was crazy… How could it be possible that one man, one man could destroy everything precious in my life and have such a powerful effect on me…?

My eyes slowly closed as his skin came in contact with mine once more, but my hesitation made my reaction time slower than normal and I pulled away from his touch much later than intended. "Besides, if you were so important to Edward he would have come to rescue you, would he not?" he asked, confusion filling me the moment those words escaped his mouth.

What if… what if he was right? In reality, the Cullens—and mainly my mate—should have come and saved me from this hell hole if they had cared, wouldn't they? "Don't...Don't try and tell me lies," I responded shakily, my voice wavering. "This is the second time you've taken me and not once have you ever thought of me as an 'equal' before. All you want is to take what you want and that's it..."

I was guessing my statement angered him because Stefan pulled his hand away from my face and was silent as he contemplated his next answer carefully. "Then answer me this: will your 'family' really be so eager to accept you when they discover everything you've done? What you're going to help me do tomorrow? Would you prefer to wander alone instead? To be a nomad?" he asked, forcing me to look away from his penetrating stare as even more confusion swept through me. He was right; the Cullens _couldn't_ take me back after everything that I have done and will do.

My silence seemed to be the confirmation to his question and Stefan rose from the bed. "As I thought. I will leave you now to consider your options," he said before walking out of the room and closing the door behind him, leaving me in peace.

Now that he was gone, maybe I could finally get my thoughts in order…

I treasured, even coveted, the moments where Stefan wasn't in the same room as me. Ever since my enslavement, there was no time to think, no time to get my thoughts and feelings in check. You see, this is the second time that Stefan has taken me away from my family and mate. But at least this time wasn't as…well, let's say that it wasn't as brutal as the last. The first time that I was taken away was because Stefan was recruiting new vampires to form an army. An army for what, you may ask?

Well, simply to regain his power.

Let me explain myself a little more. Stefan is one of the two founding members of the Romanian coven. He's also one of the only two survivors. Him and his coven mate Vladimir have lived for thousands of years—if memory serves, they were alive even before Jesus Christ—the only thing fueling them for half of their lifespan was the hatred for the kings of the vampire world: the Volturi. Of what my father-in-law told me, the Volturi were always in search of talented vampires who were unique and powerful enough to be deemed worthy to join their ranks. When Aro—the king of the Volturi clan—heard of the Romanian coven's search for power, he couldn't let them continue their search, knowing that they would be after his throne soon.

And so, Aro went after the Romanians, partly to remove the apparent danger of being overthrown, but also because of his obsessive search for talented vampires.

Because Aro valued talent over strength, the Volturi were able to defeat the Romanians—even though it took more than a century to remove them from power completely—but even then, the Romanians hadn't been wiped out.

Stefan and Vladimir still remained, which meant that the threat against the Volturi wasn't over.

And this is the part where I come in.

A few months ago, Stefan came to Forks to recruit my mate, Edward, his 'sister', Alice, and Alice's mate, Jasper, for his army. Knowing me, I couldn't let Stefan take my family away, and so I offered myself in exchange for both of them. Since my shield could protect him from others' abilities—at least, mental abilities—he accepted my offer, amidst the protest of Edward, Alice and Jasper, and took me away from my family and those I loved.

Those few weeks had been the worst weeks of my life.

Stefan was not—and is not—someone to trifle with. I tried to defy him as much as possible, so as to not become his personal slave, staying true to the stubbornness I had inherited from my father, but with my need to stay free, Stefan became angry and turned his fury against me, biting me and ripping my flesh so many times that now, I looked like a battlefield, the amount of scars on my body rivalling that of Jasper's.

After traveling to several countries with dozens of vampires recruited, Stefan let me go back to my family—for the time being.

I desperately hoped that he would have forgotten about me and left me alone to live a happy, peaceful life with my mate, but that hope was quickly destroyed when Stefan came back just a few short months later to take me away once more.

Ever since, I've been here in his castle…acting as his personal 'talented' slave who has nothing to go back to.

Standing up slowly, I shook my head, trying to expel those painful moments of our first encounter with little success, and got up, thinking it was high time to exchange this sheet for some actual clothes. Not only that, but also in hope of ridding myself of Stefan's scent that still lingered on my skin. Grabbing a long sleeved shirt and dark jeans, I dressed myself and looked at the door, wondering if I was allowed to exit my room to do a little bit of exploring. After being here for so long, I'd only stayed in this room, figuring that I wasn't allowed to visit the rest of the castle.

He hadn't exactly authorized me to move freely, but he also hadn't restricted me either. But I _needed_ to get out of this room, at least for a little while. The risk of possibly provoking him was worth it in my mind.

Slipping out of my room soundlessly, I made my way through the various halls and looked around in marvel, thinking that the castle itself must have been built hundreds of years ago, until a suddenly distinctive, but faint sound snapped me out of my thoughts. Lifting my head up and turning it toward the resonance, curiosity began to course through me as Stefan and Vladimir's voice could be heard.

If I were a human, I would probably have made the distinct error of thinking that Stefan was simply speaking to himself. But, with my vampire hearing, I could detect the slight nuances of Vladimir's voice as well as his comrade's.

Both of their voices were so identical that one might assume they were one speaker if their ears could not tell otherwise.

Making my way through the halls, I tried leaning my ear toward the sounds, trying to decipher what was being said, but unable to understand any of what they were talking about. As the sound began to get more pronounced, my eyes detected a set of delicately carved French doors, one slightly ajar. Their voices were filtering out into the corridor from within that room.

Stopping just short of the doors, hesitation began to creep through me. Why would I eavesdrop on a conversation that I couldn't understand? What was the point of trying to make out what they're saying if I didn't understand Romanian? Narrowing my eyes, I strained my ear in an attempt to recognize the words that seemed to flow so easily and effortlessly off of their tongues. My mind went into overdrive, analyzing and studying the tones of their voices, but still couldn't discern what they were saying.

This was a wasted effort. Why was I so interested in deciphering their conversation anyway?

Beginning to turn on my heels, Stefan's Romanian accent suddenly carried out to me, stopping me dead in my tracks as he said, "You may come in, my dear. If you'd like."

Standing in the middle of the hall, frozen in place, I didn't know what to do. It was quite impressive that he was able to hear me when I'd been as stealthy as a feline,—or at least I had been trying—but, then again, he had been a vampire longer than I have, meaning that his ears were much more sensitive than mine. But now that he had detected my presence, I had to go in there…right?

After a few more moments of hesitation, I turned back and opened the door slightly, spotting Stefan seated at his desk with his feet propped up against the edge whereas Vladimir sat on one of the plush chairs with his arms folded over his chest. The ghost of a smile was portrayed on his powdery pale face as his burgundy eyes slowly found mine and when our gazes locked, I fought off an uncontrollable shiver.

"So you have finally emerged. I was wondering when you would," Vladimir said, that small smile still on his face as he continued to stare at me with those unrelenting eyes of his. His voice unnerved me. It was so similar to Stefan's that it chilled me to the bone. His dark clothes and sinister eyes made it very hard for me to continue looking at him. Turning my head toward Stefan, it was somehow easier to hold his gaze than his comrade's.

"I'm sorry for eavesdropping... I don't understand your language so I don't know why I did it..." I admitted, trying to defend myself while remaining just on the outskirt of the study, not daring to enter the room just yet.

Stefan chuckled lightly and waved his hand dismissively through the air, as if my explanation wasn't needed. "No apologies are necessary. I do not condemn curiosity." There seemed to be a hint of surprise in his voice, something that I could not pinpoint the reason behind. This man confused me more and more every time I was around him… "Can I get you anything?"

Shaking my head, I locked my gaze with his and said, "I just... I needed some air and was walking around when I heard voices." Looking from Stefan to Vladimir, I began feeling uneasy as the battle to stay or leave raged within me. Was it better for me to leave them to their conversation or stay and act as a third wheel?

Technically, Stefan would be the one choosing, seeing as I'm only his servant.

Stefan nodded once and remained silent for a few moments, strumming his fingers casually on the surface of his desk, only making the unease build within me. After a few moments, Stefan finally spoke up and said, "You may explore if you wish. Or stay. The choice is yours."

Looking at both men, I nodded hesitantly and slowly walked away without another word being spoken, believing that I had overstayed my welcome in their study—or on the outskirts of it, anyways. Not knowing where to go, I ventured back toward my room, finding no other place that served as a tiny safe haven for me in this large castle.

Closing the door behind me, I walked over to my bed and gazed out the window, wrapping my arms slowly around myself in the process and let my mind wander once more.

Ever since Stefan took me away for the second time, intense confusion had settled within me and it wasn't going away. That confusion had been brought on when Stefan began to make his…advances. What made me even more puzzled was that…I didn't push him away. Every single touch only brought a new wave of confusion through me and continually made me doubt my loyalty to Edward.

Why was I allowing Stefan to do this to me? Why couldn't I push him away? It wasn't simply because I was his prisoner, his servant. No, there was another reason behind it. But…that reason was still unknown to me.

All I know was that Edward would never do this to me, were he in my situation at the moment. What did that say about me?

Those thoughts and more kept running through my head until a knock echoed through the room, the soft click of the door opening followed shortly afterwards. Stefan's voice snapped me out of my thoughts as he entered my room and I turned my head to look in his direction, seeing his hands folded behind his back and a small, but pleasant, smile made its way across his face.

"Would you like to take a walk?" he asked, staying where he was in front of the door.

Keeping his gaze, I placed my hands on my lap and asked, "Am I allowed?"

That smile of his didn't leave his face as he nodded, "Of course. Come," he said, opening the door wider and offering me his arm.

It might have been a sign of courtesy on his part, but seeing as every time we touched, confusion spread through my mind like fog, I stood up and walked out of the room without even bothering to take hold of his arm.

He closed the door behind him and walked beside me, leading me toward a part of the castle that I hadn't explored yet—or was even allowed to explore. As we walked, my eyes scanned over the hall we were passing through, taking everything in. The décor of the castle was quite unique in its own way. There were ancient weapons—some still stained with the blood of their poor, unfortunate victims—and centuries old paintings hanging along the entire wall. Sconces that held dust covered candles lined both walls, the only light illuminating the dark hall. Statues of snarling gargoyles and grotesque demonic creatures were stationed sporadically along both sides of the hall, making my skin crawl along with the eerie feeling that ran through me because of the hollow echo our footsteps made caused by the high ceilings.

The silence didn't help anything, either.

Along with the undeniable fact that I was walking side by side with _Stefan_, my skin continued to crawl as we walked through the baroque style halls.

I could feel his penetrating gaze on me from time to time as we turned a corner and began walking through a hall with windows lining one side, giving us a perfect view of the beautiful, snowy Romanian landscape. "I apologize if you find Vladimir and me rude for speaking privately in our native tongue. It is a habit," he said, continuing to glance at me periodically while walking.

Shrugging, I kept my gaze straight ahead and said, "This is your castle. You do what you want in it."

"A valid point. But...it could be your castle as well if you decide to remain here," Stefan admitted, keeping his gaze on my face.

Hesitation crept, once again, within me at his words. This must be a part of his game…trying to see how I would react. Shaking my head, I said, "This could never be mine. I shouldn't belong here." I lowered my gaze to the ground, unable to look at him now. It was too much to bear now…

"Be that as it may, where do you think you will belong after tomorrow?"

"Nowhere..." I replied with a sigh, turning my head to the side and looking away from him. Why did he have to continuously bring that up? He knew very well that the Cullens wouldn't accept me after this… So why did he have to shove the knife in deeper?

"Well, I'd rather not see you leave, if it's all the same to you."

We reached a door at the end of the hall and Stefan opened it for me, revealing a spiral marble staircase leading up to some sort of tower. Stefan slowly inclined his head in my direction and gestured for me to precede him up the stairs.

Confused by his manners, I hesitated before moving up the stairs, trying not to feel uncomfortable with the fact that Stefan was behind me. "Why would you want me to stay here exactly...?" I asked after a few moments of silence, speaking without looking back at him.

Stefan didn't speak, the only sound audible in this thick silence was the sound of our footsteps on the marble stairs. "I know you might not believe me, but I really have come to enjoy your company, Bella. Spending time with you has brought me some welcomed variety," he finally said, forcing another wave of confusion to sweep through me.

I turned my head to gaze at him as we ascended the stairs, trying to find some sort of proof that he was simply manipulating me with these lies, but sadly, Stefan had a great poker face. "What kind of 'variety' are we talking about here?"

With a slight chuckle, Stefan and I arrived on a landing that led out to a balcony, the slowly falling snow creating a light dusting on the dark gray stone. "I would think that answer would be obvious," he began, starting to accelerate his pace to stand next to me on the landing, winking at me. "I've missed having a woman in the castle."

So that was his aim. He just wanted his 'needs' quenched.

Narrowing my eyes and looking straight into his with an unyielding gaze, I said, "So this is all for your personal gains, after all."

Stefan shrugged nonchalantly, as if my statement was obvious to anyone. As we reached the balcony and the snow began falling on us, Stefan slowly closed the gap between us and ran the pads of his fingers across my cheek, making my body freeze in place. "Did you expect anything less?" Our gazes locked and, just as he began to speak again, my body tensed up under his touch. "You will assist me. No questions asked," he ordered, his voice wrapping around me, almost like an embrace.

My gaze could not waver from his. It was as if he was holding me completely in place, his silky voice seeming to sink down into my skin and wrap itself around my mind. "Yes... I'll do as you ask..." I responded mechanically, feeling an unexplainable urge to do as he says.

A grin spread across his powdery skin as he cupped my cheek, locking gazes with me as he said, "Excellent. Now..." Hooking his arm around my waist and pulling me closer to him, he traced his fingers down my cheek and across my jaw, our eyes still locked tightly together.

"There are some details that need to be hashed out. Listen carefully, my dear," he began, bringing his face closer to mine and capturing me with his velvety smooth voice. Because of our proximity, his deep crimson irises were the only things I could see, nothing else. "Under no circumstances are you to betray Vladimir and I. Protecting us and remaining loyal are your top priorities. Also, I'm fairly certain the Cullens will try to retrieve you. Refuse them. You will stay here with me."

Nodding mechanically as he spoke, it felt as though every order he gave me coiled around my entire frame, and I was completely entranced by his silky voice and hypnotizing gaze. When he began to give out his orders, a pulsating need to obey him began to course through me, wrapping around my mind and body. And he wasn't done… "I'll protect and remain loyal to you and Vladimir... I won't go with the Cullens so that I can stay here with you..." I repeated robotically, feeling his hold on me too strong was to break. What was he doing to me?

Chuckling lightly, Stefan's lips curled upward into one of his charming smirks, somehow seemingly pleased with how things were turning out. He was trying to gain control of me…make me his undyingly loyal slave. "Very good," he said approvingly, almost as if I was a good little puppy. Hooking his index finger under my chin, Stefan lifted my head up, tugging my face closer to his, and lowered his voice. "I know you will be happy here. Much happier," he said just above a whisper before tantalizingly brushing his lips against mine, making my eyelids flutter.

As his lips grazed against mine, a new wave of confusion crashed over me, which resulted in annoyingly jumbling my thoughts once more. "I'd…be happier here...?" I asked hesitantly, feeling that my thoughts were no longer my own while Stefan kept his lips where they were.

Stefan nodded and snaked the hand that was around my waist lower, resting it against my lower back as he kept his mouth close to mine. "Yes. I will not judge you, Bella. You never have to be worried about displeasing me," he said, our lips still touching while he spoke.

My eyes closed completely as his lips continued to flutter against mine, my mind fumbling for coherent thoughts and my confusion increasing with every second passing. "But...But I'm not your equal... I'll never be as long as I'm here..."

Stefan slowly moved the hand underneath my chin across my neck, purposefully ghosting the pads of his fingers across my skin before burying his fingers in my hair, forcing a slight shiver down my spine and the confusion within me to grow once more. "And who says you can't?" he asked, his voice growing huskier as he moved closer to me. "That's certainly not what I think."

"I'm just a slave to you... I'm not your equal... I…"

Leaving the sentence hanging, Stefan took advantage of my hesitation to kiss me fully, hungrily. His body pressed firmly against mine as his kiss made my head swim, the confusion obliterating all rational thought from my mind. How could one man affect me this much? And on so many different levels?

He pulled away, but kept my body pressed closely to his. "Do you really believe that? It sounds as though you aren't sure yourself," Stefan asked, tilting his head to the side slightly but still keeping his gaze locked on mine.

I tilted my head forward, my mind still jumbled from the kiss. But even though my thoughts seemed incoherent, there was one thing I knew for sure: I had to get some sort of distance between Stefan and myself. Otherwise, he would simply continue manipulating this entire conversation. Grabbing all the courage I could summon within myself, I placed my hands on his chest and pushed him back, turning away from him and walking across the balcony to try and clear my swimming head.

"You acting like this and saying things you don't mean is making me confused," I admitted, grabbing the edge of the stone balustrade while taking deep—but unnecessary—breaths in an attempt to wash away all of this aggravating confusion from my body.

He remained silent for a few moments before his footsteps could be heard behind me, coming to a stop a few paces away. "And how do you know that a part of me doesn't mean it?"

"Because I've started to know you. You took me from my f..." Biting my lower lip, I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to salvage this sentence. The Cullens weren't my family anymore, not after what would happen tomorrow, "from the Cullens, so I _know_ that you only seek conquests...play things that you toss away in the long run."

Stefan moved to stand beside me, leaning against the parapet and propping his elbow on the edge. "Then you should also know that, even if I did consider you a conquest, I certainly would not treat you like a slave," Stefan said, trying to trick me once more.

Glancing over at him for a second, I looked away just as quickly, that small smirk on his face only confirming my thoughts. "Too late..." I admitted, my eyes slowly scanning over the scenery as the snow continued to fall, my shoulders and hair coated with the white substance.

He scooted closer to me, his leather covered arm scraping against the stone, and I could see, out of the corner of my eye, his hand lift up to twist a lock of my hair around his finger. "Perhaps, perhaps not," he answered vaguely.

Looking over at him, the strand of hair between his fingers slipped out of his hold as I asked, "What do you mean?"

Stefan grinned and lifted his gaze to meet mine. "I know you enjoy it when I touch you," he said, completely ignoring my question.

Knowing that replying to that statement would only fuel him more, I remained silent, looking away from his piercing eyes and trying to remain calm. Sadly, my silence only amused him. A low chuckle resonated from his chest as he began to slide closer to me, his pleased gaze remaining on the side of my face. "In fact, I think the real reason you continue removing yourself from my grasp is because you won't me to stop once I get started," he stated, his voice becoming husky once again.

I couldn't take it anymore. His proximity, the timber of his voice…all of it. Abruptly moving away from him, I strode over to the other side of the balcony while wrapping my arms tightly around myself and closing my eyes. I _had_ to get away from him; had to get some distance between us. Unfortunately, my reaction seemed to only amuse him even more as a laugh erupted from his lips at my retreat.

"Oh come now, there's no need for that," he said, his voice tinged with amusement.

That was the last straw. He couldn't treat me like this anymore. Someone had to stand up to him… Turning swiftly back to face him, I glared daggers at him, my eyes burning with anger. "Is this how it all starts with every single one of your slaves or your conquests? You manipulate them to your liking and, when you're done with them, you let them go, only for them to realize they have nowhere to go because you destroyed everything they hold dear? Is that it?! Because, if it is, then I will never be one of your many conquests and you can forget about my help tomorrow. I'd rather die than be subjected to do your bidding once more."

It's funny. With that simple surge of emotions, it seemed to have cleared my head a little, helping me think more clearly about this entire situation.

Sadly, I might have pushed it too far this time…

In the beginning of my exclamation, Stefan arched an eyebrow in intrigue, waiting to see where my outburst would lead. But, as I pushed his buttons time after time, that arched eyebrow fell and his eyes flashed dangerously as a scowl crawled onto his face, making him look fiercely menacing.

_Oh no…_ I thought as he gazed at me severely, approaching me with a predatory stealth.

As soon as he was close enough to me, Stefan snapped his arm out and clamped his hand around my neck forcefully, a small gasp escaping my lips as I tried to pry his fingers off of me. His gaze darkened to an inky black and a vicious growl rumbled from deep within his chest before his silky—but harsh—voice caught me in his stare.

"I have neither the time nor patience for your stubbornness! You will not defy me! In fact, nothing would please you more than to do this for me. Protecting Vladimir and I is your top priority and you will not question that." My lips parted as his orders wrapped around my mind, forcing that urge to obey him to surface again. My eyes stayed locked on his while he continued to give out orders that I couldn't resist. "Your confusion is irrational; you are loyal to me alone. Any other questions?"

Shaking my head involuntarily, Stefan slowly released me, peeling his fingers away from my neck one by one, and took a step back, straightening his clothes and running his hand through his hair, not once looking away from me. "Very good. You may stay up here for as long as you wish," were his last words before he sauntered off with his hands fisted at his sides.

I was left standing there, slack jawed and simply staring numbly at the Romanian landscape before me. My confusion only seemed to increase this time as Stefan's presence drifted away from the balcony. Normally, it was the other way around. Whenever Stefan left, the confusion would slowly leave my body, but this time, it remained and increased tenfold.

And confusion wasn't the only thing that stuck around.

This sudden and strange sensation kept creeping beneath every inch of my skin as though it was alive, urging me to follow Stefan's orders tomorrow. It was a desperate need to obey this Romanian, to protect the two men from harm against the Volturi and stay with him afterwards. Wrong and right simply flew out the window; now, there was only obedience.

Now, there was only the need to obey Stefan's wishes.

That feeling of obedience still danced through my mind and body as a few small questions seeped into my mind: how was he able to do this? How was he able to coil himself around me so tightly that I wasn't able to get away?

But more importantly, how was he able to get past my shield?

**So here's a little word from DragonGirl323: "First of all, I'd like to thank everyone that read, reviewed and favorited this story. Both Mortal and myself appreciate it greatly. And now we bring you the first official chapter! Apologies for the extended delay and thank you for your patience. We'd love to hear what all of you think!"**

**And here's my Author's note: "Ok so, what did you all think of this chapter? Was it good? Bad? Please let us know in some REVIEWS!"**

**Mortal-paralight & DragonGirl323**

18


	3. In Purgatory's Shadow

**Author Note from DragonGirl323: "Here's the next chapter finally! I apologize for the extended wait. Besides having difficulty with the writing process I had a slew of other problems I had to deal with. Hopefully now that things are smoothing out both myself and Mortal can update more regularly. Also, thank you to everyone supporting this story. We greatly appreciate it. I hope you enjoy the next segment!"**

**Author's note from mortal-paralight: "Alright guys, so I know that this chapter is very late, but we've both had stuff going on, which is the reason for the delay. I hope that you guys enjoy this chapter that DragonGirl made and, without further ado, please READ AND REVIEW!"**

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**Disclaimer = We don't own Twilight!**

Chapter 2

In Purgatory's Shadow

**Stefan's Point of View**

The day of days had finally arrived.

The air around me and Vladimir was crackling with anticipation as we led Sulpicia and Athenodora out of the castle and into the snowy field beyond to meet their doom with the entirety of their coven and, not to mention, their husbands watching. The only sounds to be heard were the crunch of our feet in the snow, the rustle of our clothing as we walked, and one corner of my mouth curled up into a smug smirk as I shot a sideways glance at Sulpicia. Her sullen expression and the slight droop of her shoulders was the picture of utter defeat; she knew there was no hope for her or her sister.

I shifted my gaze to Bella as we came to a halt in the middle of the snowy field and smiled triumphantly. The clear, focused glint in her oh so lovely deep crimson eyes, the product of an extra dose of my compelling influence as a precaution, filled me with pride. She was my edge, the only thing that could tip the scales in my century's long struggle against the Volturi.

_If only I had her from the beginning,_ I thought woefully. _So much decimation could have been prevented._

Of course, my focus on brute strength had been mine and Vladimir's downfall; our newborn armies had been no match against Aro's merry band of gifted vampires, something I would be rectifying shortly.

I detected the change in the air immediately, the subtle shift as the frigid mountain wind carried the scent of approaching vampires to me, and my head whipped toward the thick cluster of snow covered trees fifty meters away. Vladimir, having picked up on the Volturi's advancement at the same time I did, moved so he was standing directly beside me and squared his shoulders, holding Athenodora in front of him in an unrelenting grasp. Anticipation raced through me, turning each nerve in my body into a live wire, and the charge was palpable in the air around us. After a millennia, the retribution we had been waiting and struggling for was in our reach.

This was a day of days indeed.

My senses snapped me into battle ready alertness when the gathering of black cloaks oozed out of the trees, the guard lining up obediently behind their figure heads. I recognized the small, child-like forms of Jane and Alec standing closest to Aro and I couldn't help but smirk. They would be all but useless today. I also identified Demetri, Felix, Santiago, Afton and Renata standing in front of a small cluster of gray cloaked forms and I snorted under my breath.

_Lower enlisted,_ I thought. _They didn't even bring the whole guard. They're either over confident or resigned to the fact that they've already lost._

"Extend your shield, my dear," I requested, turning my attention to Bella just long enough to ensure my influence over her was still steadfast.

She met my gaze and I could see the flames of defiance burning inside her irises, but my unyielding hold over her demanded dominance. She nodded stiffly once, then the shimmering film of her mental shield extended over all five of us, protecting us from the witch twin's infuriatingly irritating gifts.

After a few human breaths of silence, Aro, Caius and Marcus pulled back the hoods of their midnight black cloaks and set their gazes on Vladimir and I. Both Aro and Caius were visibly shaken I could tell. This was the only time their wives had ever been threatened and to think that it had taken the temptation of a mere shopping trip for our plot to come to fruition.

"How good to see you, old friend," I announced with a sickeningly pleasant smile.

Vladimir chuckled. "Oh yes, we missed you."

"Hello, Stefan… Vladimir," Aro responded, his voice laced with hostility. He folded his hands in front of himself and squared his shoulders. Even though his expression was guarded, I could clearly see the turmoil writhing beneath the surface as his gaze drifted to his wife. "I'm sure we can easily come to an understanding without any unnecessary violence."

"Nothing you say or do will save your precious mates' lives," Vladimir drawled. "We are going to kill them, and we do not care what you have to say about the matter."

I nodded in agreement. "There will be no understanding, Aro. All I want you to do is stand there and watch while I kill your wife." I smirked as I steadily tightened my grip on Sulpicia's neck.

The growl that rumbled through Aro's chest as he took a step toward me, even though it was supposed to sound menacing, made me want to laugh. "You will do no such thing! Return our wives to us unharmed and we might consider overlooking this crime!" he shouted, a flicker of his inner desperation briefly flashing through his eyes.

Vladimir snorted – he knew as well as I that such a bargain was nothing but a ploy – and leaned his head closer to mine. "Of course, we would just kill them by default." I recognized the deep baritone of Marcus' growl and was genuinely surprised that he had decided to vocalize his own anger instead of standing behind his so called brothers and brooding. "But how do we know you will uphold your end of the bargain, hmm?" Vladimir added, keeping an agitated Athenodora held tightly in his grasp.

I laughed humorlessly, directing my full attention back to Aro. "I believe it is time that you experience the same pain I've lived with for more than a thousand years, Aro," I told him, the increasing strength of my grip causing Sulpicia's chalky porcelain skin to crack. Her sharp, pain filled hiss made Aro's top lip curl back from his teeth and another growl tear up his throat.

He took a step to advance on us, but Caius promptly clamped his hand down onto his brother's shoulder, holding him in place. "Do not assume that I will apologize for what was done in the past, Stefan!" he yelled vehemently at us. "What is done is done! Justice had to be served!"

I arched an eyebrow, inwardly amused by Aro's state of distress. I'd never seen the bastard so unsteady in all the years I'd known him and, frankly, it was comical. It took a great deal to bring him out of his perpetually cheerful state and I was enjoying the show immensely.

_No wonder they keep their precious mates locked up in that God forsaken bell jar,_ I thought smugly. _The poor dears have probably been pining to see the outside world for centuries._

"How was slaughtering our mates before our very eyes justified?" Vladimir shouted back at him as he dug his fingers into Athenodora's neck, making her gasp in pain. "We were the ones you wanted yet you took them instead! How is that justified?"

I nodded, shooting a like-minded stare in Vladimir's direction, before bringing my gaze back to Aro. "But you can rest assured that justice will be served here today," I said over the cracking and sharp metallic grinding that had suddenly become like sweet music to my ears. My fingers were embedded so deeply into Sulpicia's chalky skin that I could behead her with a simple snap of my wrist. "I would say my goodbyes to her if I were you."

He scowled at me, his fingers curling into the edges of his cloak, and I assumed he was wishing he could get his hands around my throat. That thought made me smirk inwardly. I was awaiting the day when I could tear his eyes out of their sockets. "There will be no goodbyes! You will _not_ be taking them away from us!"

I laughed condescendingly. "Are you so sure about that?" I asked, arching one eyebrow. I found it ironic that he was still barking orders even though he was the one who was helpless now.

He looked toward his guard and, in a desperate attempt to wrench his control back, he flung his arm out and pointed at Felix and Demetri. "Felix! Demetri! Retrieve Sulpicia and Athenodora!" he snapped, a faint undercurrent of panic audible in his voice.

I rolled my eyes and swiftly lifted my free hand to Sulpicia's jaw, grabbing her chin roughly in preparation for separating her head from her body. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Vladimir mirroring my movements, following my lead. "I would advise against that," I warned.

Both vampires paused uncertainly, their eyes flicking back and forth between us and their masters. Felix was much stronger than Vladimir and I, and Demetri was exceptionally experienced and ferocious in his own right, but the pair of us were one man armies with thousands more years of fighting expertise than the both of them combined. The wives would be beheaded long before they could manage to reach us, then we would take great delight in tearing the both of them apart as well. As long as Bella had us encased in the protection of her shield, we were untouchable and Aro knew it.

He snarled in indignation, then shook his hand dismissively at Felix and Demetri, calling them off, and they obediently melted back in line like the dogs they were. Marcus moved his lethargic gaze to Aro and stepped forward, curling his hand carefully over his shoulder, then directed his attention to me. I lifted my eyebrows only just as a way to acknowledge his intentions to speak. It wasn't often that Marcus chose to voice his opinions, – he was usually content to stand behind his brother's and be the deciding vote when it came to slaughtering a rule breaking coven or leaving them in peace – so I could only assume that whatever he was about to say was something profound.

"I never thought you would wish to endure the same pain twice, Stefan," he said, his voice shockingly threatening as he shifted his gaze to Bella.

I paused, but retained enough control to keep my gaze from drifting over to her and prevented a sudden surge of irritation from leeching into my expression. I knew what he was insinuating and wasn't about to give him the satisfaction of knowing that his statement had actually effected me. His gift had always been a point of contention with me and whether or not he actually saw a bond between Bella and I was irrelevant. The only thing binding her to me was my own influence and that was something even the all powerful Volturi were ignorant of.

"A-Aro... I love you..." Sulpicia rasped, her voice labored and barely audible because of my constricting grasp on her neck.

He mouthed those words back to her and I inwardly rolled my eyes at the sentimental gesture. I had always been skeptical of Aro's affections toward his mate, this small display of affection made little difference to me. "Get your hands away from my wife," Aro ground out between clenched teeth.

A sinister smirk crawled across my face. He'd just given me the opening I was waiting for.

"Very well," I responded, then sharply snapped Sulpicia's head to the side and yanked, completely severing it from her shoulders. Her body collapsed to the ground in a crumpled heap, lifeless and unresponsive.

Before the shock of his wife's beheading could hit him, I plucked a lighter out of my pocket, lit it, then dropped it onto Sulpicia's prone form. His reaction as he watched the lighter fall was as violent and satisfying as I had been hoping it would be. When her body burst into flame, the tendrils of fire consuming everything in their path, the keening, tormented screech that erupted out of his throat and the agony reflected in his eyes made me laugh, filling me with an indescribable sense of glee. A chorus of shocked gasps rang out from the guards and they shifted uneasily where they stood, their eyes drifting between us and their masters. Not only had I dealt the phony King a debilitating blow, I'd successfully made the guards doubt the three men they were forced to serve.

For the first time in over fifteen hundred years, I felt powerful again. My patience had been richly rewarded.

"How does it feel, Aro!" I shouted, brandishing her head at him like it was nothing more than a trophy before tossing it into the blaze. "Revel in your misery for the rest of eternity!"

I saw Caius' eyes widen and looked over just in time to watch Vladimir viciously slice through Athenodora's neck with his teeth, then push her headless body on top of Sulpicia's. The fresh venom oozing out of her neck caused the blaze to roar even brighter, but I was still able to hear Caius' grief filled cry, prompting Vladimir and I to laugh in unison, their pain bringing us the sickest kind of joy imaginable. Our mates had been avenged, some meaning finally brought from their tragic deaths, and nothing, not even the most succulent mouthful of human blood, would ever taste sweeter to me than in this moment itself.

"Such a shame," Vladimir crooned condescendingly before unceremoniously dropping Athenodora's head into the blaze.

The resulting distraught cry from Caius prompted the both of us to take a defensive stance, prepared for the assault that we had been predicting would come. Vladimir and I had spent days in the drawing room going over offensive and defensive strategies in case our actions goaded them into a fight. We were ready for anything. To take out all three leaders and a vast majority of their prized guard in one fell swoop was an outcome we were sorely hoping for.

As the seconds ticked by agonizingly slowly with Aro and Caius still pining for the women that were smoldering at my feet, I realized I had irreparably broken these men that thought themselves gods, shaken them down to the cores of their very beings, and I smirked. They finally knew the pain they had brought down on Vladimir and I when our own mates had been burned in front of us and the understanding I thought I saw cross Aro's expression was all the validation I needed.

He and Caius forcefully tore their gazes off of the ashen bodies of their wives and simply stared at one another, silent and unmoving, their guard standing behind them still in a state of shock, the disbelief in their eyes blatant. Marcus curled a hand around each of their shoulders and gently turned them away until their backs were facing me. The whisper of his deep baritone reached my ears, but I didn't care what was being said. Their postures and the haunted looks in their eyes spoke louder than their words ever could.

When I detected movement to my right, my delighted gaze landed on Edward Cullen as he stepped forward, his topaz eyes staring longingly at his mate. I knew what he wanted and I couldn't stop myself from snickering under my breath, remaining silent to watch my epic finale unfold.

"Bella, come," he requested, stretching his hand out toward her. "We've come to bring you home."

Bella stared at Edward's hand for only a brief moment before looking away, her own hands curling into fists. "I'm not going home, Edward."

A satisfied smirk crawled onto my face as his jaw slackened, stunned confusion swirling through his eyes, and I held out my hand to her, hoping to emphasize her resolve to her precious 'family' that she intended to stay here. When she quickly looked away from me, though, keeping her arms at her sides, I shrugged my shoulders indifferently and folded my hands behind my back.

_Perhaps it was better that she hadn't accepted my invitation,_ I thought as the young Cullen glanced uncertainly at his sire. _I do want to keep my gift a secret after all. If she had, they might have suspected coercion._

Carlisle stepped forward and placed a hand on Edward's shoulder, setting his calm, placating gaze on me. "Stefan, would you allow Bella to return to us? She has done what you asked. Her place is with her mate."

I ignored Carlisle's question, instead looking to the brunette standing not far away from me, and offered her a pleasant smile. "Well, Bella? What do you want?"

Her shoulders became rigid as my influence forcefully held her in place, her eyes locked on the snow covered ground beneath her feet. "I'm...I'm staying in Romania," she answered.

I almost laughed out loud at the resulting looks of shock on both men's faces, neither had been expecting this and her refusal had set them back on their heels, all their plans of returning to Forks with her in tow completely blown out of the water. Carlisle's mouth straightened into a grim line as he glanced sideways at his 'son' and Edward simply stared at Bella, thunderstruck.

No one spoke for an uncomfortable stretch of time until Carlisle's mate, Esme, came to stand on Edward's other side, a pleading look in her eyes. "Bella, please, there's no need for you to stay here any longer. We love you and we want you to come home. None of us can even begin to imagine what you've been through, but we want to help you heal."

My gaze briefly drifted to the three other members of this quaint little 'family', coming to rest on the smallest of them, the Seeress. She was clearly distraught, just like the rest of them were, but seeing her upset only solidified my victory. She knew there was nothing Bella's precious mate could say or do to sway her decision.

Bella bit down on her lip hard, a deeply conflicted look in her crimson eyes, and I once again found myself impressed by the strength of her will. Never before had someone under my influence been able to fight and resist me quite like she could, and I couldn't help but be intrigued. I assumed that was because of her powerful mental shield, but couldn't say for sure. The girl was as stubborn as a mule.

"I can't come with you... That's it. I just can't," she insisted, her hands balled into fists at her sides.

"Bella, please," Edward beseeched softly, taking a few steps closer to her. "I'm sorry, love. I'm so sorry. I don't expect you to forgive me for abandoning you like I did, but, please, give me the chance to make it up to you. Give me the chance to make it right."

She turned her head away from him, then stuffed her hands into her pockets. "I just can't, Edward! I can't go with you! I have to stay here, so your apologies and pleas mean nothing now! Just...just please go! There's nothing left to bring back to this so called 'home' of yours!"

Esme and Carlisle shared a helpless glance as Edward continued to stare at Bella with bewilderment. His despairing stare finally landed on me and I could practically feel his desperation. "You forced her to come here. You can force her to leave."

I shot a feigned incredulous look at him. "That may be, but if she wishes to stay, I will not refuse her," I replied, inwardly grinning at such a bold faced lie.

Bella began grinding her teeth and I stole a glance at Vladimir, easily detecting the amusement in his eyes. He was enjoying the show just as much as I was. I imagined she wouldn't be too happy with me later on, but I wasn't bothered by that.

A long, heavy silence followed, stretching on for longer than I thought it would before Carlisle sighed in resignation. "If this is what Bella wants then..."

Edward whipped his head in his sire's direction as he was speaking, flabbergasted. "Carlisle, you can't be serious." He paused and shook his head, turning his attention back to Bella. "No, I can't just leave her here. I won't."

Carlisle looked over at Edward, his gaze sorrowful. "But I won't force her either. It has to be her choice, Edward."

The Seeress whispered a soft apology directed at Bella and she nodded once to her before looking away, but not before I caught the pain that was evident in her expression.

"Bella, you don't belong here, especially with him!" Edward shouted, leveling me with an angry glare, which I returned with an impassive mask even though I was inwardly laughing. I was sure he was feeling exceptionally guilty over being forced to leave his mate behind when he hadn't exactly been there for her in the first place and, frankly, I found the irony hysterical.

Bella turned her back to her mate and wrapped her arms around herself, squeezing her eyes shut. "Please, just go. Please..." she pleaded.

As Carlisle and Esme began pulling Edward away I noticed out of the corner of my eye the Volturi gradually beginning to regain their bearings and silently congratulated the Cullens on their impeccable timing. I didn't want any of them getting in the way if Vladimir and I needed to do anymore slaughtering.

Edward allowed his adoptive parents to pull him away, but he kept his gaze locked on Bella's back, his jaw clenched and upper body rigid. "I love you, Bella," he whispered, continuing to stare at her as his family retreated with him in tow.

I heard Bella's breath catch in her throat and she lifted a hand to her mouth, keeping her back turned. Vladimir and I exchanged knowing glances once the Cullens had disappeared into the snow covered trees, then immediately directed our attention back to the Volturi as Aro turned to face us, his eyes once again falling to the ashy remains of his mate.

"Return to Volterra," he announced, his voice haunted as he gazed upon the small fire that continued to roar in front of me. "There shall be no further loss of life."

After just a few seconds, the guard complied and turned on their heels, melting back into the forest from whence they came. The leaders remained for just a few moments longer before following behind their guard, their abnormally heavy footsteps echoing solemnly through the empty valley when their gait had been regally graceful as they arrived.

When the edges of their black cloaks were no longer visible, I finally released the laughter that had been begging for release, a delicious chill of victory surging down my spine and spreading through my entire body. I had just achieved what so many other vampire covens had yearned centuries for, what Vladimir and I had been yearning for. We had just brought the Volturi to their knees; their wives had been the glue holding them together and now it wouldn't be long before they fell apart at the seams.

_So this is what success tastes like._

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**Mortal-paralight & DragonGirl323**

13


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